When do the winter holidays begin at your house? I confess that Thanksgiving and Christmas are the only two I give any attention, but with the commercialism of our culture my daughter gets into the spirit of the season early by insisting on a Halloween pumpkin. I benefit from her enthusiasm by having a lot […]
Humor
Like Writers, Snails Exist
When I was a leader for my church’s Awana club, I had the privilege of teaching during their evening closing time. One year the director chose to use a compilation of stories that compared the attributes of various creatures with the role they played in God’s kingdom. When my turn came to share, I drew […]
When Communication Fails
Earlier this week I experienced a phenomena unknown to me. I lost my voice. I’d been fighting a virus for about a week and thought I was on the mend when I awoke and tried to speak. I squawked like a chicken awaiting the axe. Nothing but air and wheeze. Surprised my husband, too. I […]
Turkey Trotters
Two turkeys moved to our street recently. I’m not talking about nefarious neighbors with questionable pasts, I mean the oversized bird—guts, feathers, and all. I first noticed them in August, strutting side by side down the sidewalk […]
Saying Goodbye
Today I attended the funeral of a man I’d never met. His daughter is a fellow author and friend, and has spoken many times of her father. Her praise of him glowed—his kindness, wisdom, and knowledge almost supernatural in the telling. But he was mortal, a great individual who left a legacy of love. He’d […]
Launching A Book–Part 3
Edits. Track Changes. Copy Edits. Proofreading copy. More edits. Deadlines. Deadlines. Deadlines. Launching a book is not the process I thought it would be when I first signed my contract. These past few weeks I put the finishing touches on the final proofread of book one before […]
Launching a Book–Part 2
This week I met the graphic artist hired to design my cover. When I say “met”, she appeared in a chat line thread on my Facebook page, along with my editor. Her picture was the size of a cheerio on the screen. I have no idea where she lived. Via computer and online messaging we […]
Rascal Refuge
My husband and I have always owned cats. Or, as most cat lovers know, they’ve owned us. Someone once said that dogs have masters and cats have staff. That’s the way things are at our house. One thing, though, on which I stand firm, is the absence of a litter box in the house. I relegated […]
Survivor’s Instinct
With all the recent wintry weather we’ve experienced, I found the return of the wildlife to our neighborhood encouraging. Hungry birds hovered near the apple tree where forgotten, fallen fruit waited for consumption, often triggering feathered wars. Squirrels chattered their dismay, having been forced from the yard by the layer of snow, followed by an […]
Savor the Moment
Isn’t it amazing how we rise in the morning facing a complete new day, follow our planned routine, and before we know it, nighttime has arrived and we take our fatigue to bed? Minutes have passed into hours, hours into days, and within the blink of an eye, whole weeks have vanished. Where did […]